Folding, sealing, and cutting mechanism



March 10, 1942. H. A. MEAD FOLDING, SEALING AND CUTTING MECHANISM 5sheets-sheet 1 Filed June 24, 1940 March 10, 1942. H. A. MEAD 2,275,976I FOLDING, SEALING AND CUTTING MECHANISM Filed June 24, 1940 3Sheets-Sheet 2 '9 BINVENTOR. BY cum 4 Thea ATTORNEY.

March 10, 1942. H. A. MEAD FOLDING, SEALING AND CUTTING MECHANISM 3Sheeis-Shee; 3

Filed June 24, 1940 INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 10, 1942 1 2,275,976 FOLDING, SEALING, AND CUTTINGMECHANISM Harry A.

Mead, Glendale, Calif., assignor to Modern Containers, Inc., LosAngeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application June 24, 1940,Serial No. 342,099

2 Claims.

My invention relates to that class of machineryused in connection withthe manufacture of bags, and particularly to bags made of Cellophane orother similar materials. Various machines have been designed for thisclass of production, and my invention includes an improved mechanism forthe manufacture of such bags.

The purposes of my invention are as follows:

1st. To provide a means for forming and sealing the sides and bottom ofsuch bags.

2nd. To provide means for forming a reinforcement in the bottom seal.

3rd. To provide a cushioned heating mechanism for sealing the side ofthe bag.

4th. To entirely complete the bag and then cut it off from thecontinuous strip of material being folded and sealed.

1 illustrate my invention by means of the accompanying drawings in whichsimilar numbers refer to similar parts in the several views. Figure 1 isa diagrammatic view showing the method of feeding the material into themachine through the side-folding and sealing mechanism, and the relativelocation and arrangement of the revolving heads, which carry the bottomfolding, sealing and cutting-cit mechanism. Figure -2 is a sectionalview through the-bag, with the folds separated to better illustrate theelectrically heated side-sealing mechanism. Figure 3 is a frontelevation of the machine. Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of thegripper and sealer in the open position, with the tucker and cutting offknife in position to fold and cut off the finished bag. Figure 5 is anenlarged sectional view of the gripper and sealer in its closedposition. with the bag between them being electrically sisting pad orcushion I9,

heated, sealed and cut ofi. Figure 6 is a sectional end view of theupper and lower headers, partly diagrammatic, taken on the line 5 -6 ofFigure 3, and showing the tuckers and cutterbars, as well as the bottomsealer in their preliminary position. Figure 'l is a similar sectionalend view, partly diagrammatic, of the upper and lower headers with partsof each broken away to more clearly illustrate the action of the tuckerand the cutting-off knife, which are shown in their operating position.Figure 8 is asimilar' sectional end view, partly diagrammatic, of theupper and lower headers with parts of each broken away to more clearlyillustrate the bottom sealing operation with the gripper closed andholding the bottom of the bag between the gripper and the hot sealinganvil. Figure 9 is a similar sectional end view, partly diagrammatic,

of the upper and lower headers with parts broken away to more clearlyillustrate the opening of the gripper and the discharge of the bag,after having been cut off as shown in Figure '7. Figure 10 is a planview of one of the lower headers withoutthe associated parts. Figure 11is a front elevation of one of the lower headers, and

Figure 12 is an end view of one of the lower headers.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the 7 several views.

uppermost. This curling process is aided by the rolls 6 which have theiraxes set on converging angles, and which by their rubber or otherfriction covering, draw the twosides' toward each other; the degree ofbag width and the amount of curl being determined by the angle to whichthese draw rolls 6 are set, and by the shape ofthe forming plate 25. Thematerial also passes under the drag-rolls l, which have their axes set"at right angles to the direction of material move-' ment. Thesedrag-rolls Tare also covered with iriction material which will insuretheir dragging effect on the bag material. The material 3 as it is drawnforward now has its two edges overlapping each other and lying fiatalong the center, forming the tube 8. Between the rolls 6 and the rolls1 is an electrically heated roll 9, and under this roll and also underthe tube 8 is a heat rewhich provided a resilient support to the tube 8heat applied to the seam 5. The resilience of the pad l9 insures a moreperfect contact and a more perfect seal of the seam 5. After beingsealed into a tube 8 the bag material 3 passes between the upper headerl3 and the lower header-H where the bag is completed. The'machine can bedriven by any convenient means, such as the motor l5, driving the pinionJ2 and this pinion in; turn driving the rolls 1 by means of the" gearsII. The header gears l3 and I4 are also driven from this motor,

naled in the frame 1-,. and on which the header itself is mounted, beingsecured thereto by set screws, and has two discs I! and it. The gear.

the anvil against which the bottom of the bag is pressed when beingsealed. These bars [9 are provided with cavities adapted to containelectrical heating elements 29 which are connected with a source ofelectric power by leads extending from the heating elements through anopening in the shaft l6. Each of these leads ,con-

as it is sealed by the through the pinion l2. The lower header consistsof a shaft l6 jour-' nects with the collector rings 2| and 22, which areinsulated from the shaft l6 and are provided with suitable brushes,which in turn are connected with a source of electrical power. Along thelength-of the anvil bars [9 are slots each of which contains a strikingbar 23, against which a knife is pressed when cutting off the finishedbags. These striking bars are held in their proper position by suitablemeans such as the set screws 24. Journaled in the disc i1 and ex-'tending through and beyond the disc l8 are the cam-shafts 30. Locatedbetween the two discs and secured to the cam-shafts 30 are grippers 3|which are adapted to be opened andclosed by the partial rotation of thesaid cam-shafts, the degree of the rotary movement of the cam-shafts andof the grippers being governed by the cams 25 which are stationary,being on a sleeve 56 attached to the frame i. On the extension of thecam-shafts 30 beyond the discs It there are secured to each cam-shaft alever arm 21, having joumaled on its outer end a cam-roll 32 adapted torevolve with the header and ride on the cam 26. 4 The cam-rolls 32therefore run'around the cams and the grippers are held in a normallyclosed position by means of the springs 29, but are opened at thepre-arranged time according to the shape and the timing of the saidcams. The faces of the grippers 31 have a recess 34 at their innerportions, to aid in forming a reinforcing-ridge across the bottom of thebag being sealed.

The upper header has two discs 40 and 41 very similar to those of thelower header and has the driving gear l3 attached to the disc 40. Theheader is also secured to a shaft 42, this shaft being joumaled in crossheads 43, these being slidably mounted in the frame I. Beneath thecross-heads 43 are springs 44 adapted to hold the cross-heads againstthe adjusting screw 33. Between the discs 40 and 4| and integraltherewith are the knife bars 46. These bars have longitudinally disposedacross their outer faces, slots adapted to hold the knives 45, thesebeing provided with adjustable backing strips 41. The knives 45 areadjusted to a preferred position, projecting slightly beyond the face ofthe bars 46. The knives 45 and the backing strips 41 are secured inposition by suitable means such as the set-screws 48. Journaled in thedisc 40 is one end of the cam-shaft 49, the opposite end extendingthrough the disc 4! and having secured on its outer end the lever arm50. These lever arms have journaled in their outer ends the cam-rolls52. These cam-rolls revolve around the cams and cause the partialrotation of the cam-shaft 49. Along one side or within slots in theknife-bars 46 are tucker-blades 53. These blades are so constructed asto be moved into positions, either projecting out beyond the header orwithdrawn within or flush with the face of the said knife-bars. Theseblades 53 are actuated by lever arms 54 which are secured to thecam-shafts 49 and are connected to the tucker blades 53 by the links 55.The degree of partial rotation of the cam-shaft 49 and also the degreeof movement of the tucker blades 53 is governed by the shape and timingof the cams 52, the said cams being carried on sleeves 55 attached tothe cross-head 43. The tucker blades 53 are normally held in theirwithdrawn. position by the springs 51.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

.The bag material is fed over a forming plate 25 and thence underside-folding and drawing rolls 6, which fold the edges of the materialso that a side seam is uppermost and overlapping. The material thenpasses between the electrically heated roll 8 and the cushion or padIll. The purpose of the pad is to provide a resilient support insuringperfect contact and a perfect seam 5. The material is now in tubularform 8, with the side seam, sealed. The material feeding mechanismconsists of the drag rolls I actuated by the gears I l, they in turnbeing driven by the motor 65 and the pinion I 2. The material thenpasses to the machine proper and is fed between a lower and an upperheader, each revolvably the folding blade 53 opposite the openingbetween the open gripper-bar 3i and the anvil I3, and the cams of theupper header project the blade 53 into the V-shaped opening, carryingthe material with it. The folding blade is then withdrawn and thegripper-bar 31 is closed, pressing the V-shaped bottom of the bagagainst the hot anvil l5, and thus sealing the bag. As the headersrotate, the knife 45 presses against the striker-bar 23 and severs thecompleted bag from the material, and the bag is then discharged from themachine.

In the drawings there are shown two duplicate sets of folding, sealingand cutting mechanisms.

' the path of the bag forming material, a resilient cushion in operativeposition with respect to said roller, means whereby the bag formingmaterial is folded and sealed on itself, and a cutting member forsevering the formed bag from the strip of bag forming material after thematerial is folded upon itself and sealed.

- 2. A bag forming machine comprising in combination, bag materialholding means, folding means whereby adjacent edges of the bag materialare folded in overlapped relation with each other, an electricallyheated roller mounted in the path of the bag forming material, aresilient cushion in operative position with respect to said roller,means whereby the bag forming material is folded and sealed on itself,and a cutting member for severing the formed bag from the strip of bagforming material after the material is folded upon itself and severed.the bag forming material being heated across the area of severance priorto the formed bag being severed from' the material.

HARRY A. MEAD.

